In December 2024 the government announced its intention to reorganise local government in all two-tier areas that currently have both a county council and a district council, like Lincolnshire. Currently, some services, such as Children's Services, Adult Social Care, and waste disposal are delivered by the county council while other services, such as planning, Council Tax collection, and waste collection are delivered by the district council. Under the government's plans, county and district councils would be replaced by a single unitary authority that would provide all local government services to the local area. The intention of government is to simplify local hovernment and to make savings.
This is the single biggest change in local government in over 50 years and the work required to restructure local government in Lincolnshire will take time. To make sure you can stay informed, we have created a dedicated page to provide you with the latest updates on Local Government Reorganisation or reform as it is sometimes known. (LGR).
We are committed to keeping you updated on key developments, including important dates and changes, as well as supporting you with the information necessary to understand the implications LGR may have over the coming months and years.
While the specifics of this reorganisation and its impacts are still unfolding, this page will serve as a central hub for reliable and trustworthy information.
We encourage you to check back regularly, as the page will be updated with factual and reliable information as key developments happen.
What is Local Government Reorganisation?
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is different to devolution.
Devolution, which has also been discussed widely by government is the process of moving power, funding and decision-making away from central government and closer to local areas. Devolution allows local leaders, through an elected mayor, to better meet local needs in key policy areas.
Greater Lincolnshire, which includes the area of West Lindsey has recently secured a devolution deal from government and has planned elections in May to elect the first Mayor of the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral Combined County Authority.
Local Government Reorganisation instead involves restructuring councils to improve efficiency and service delivery. Local Government Reorganisation in Lincolnshire will involve 10 existing local authorities, specifically all seven district councils, Lincolnshire County Council, and North and North-East Lincolnshire Councils.
The government expects that these councils and their services will be combined to create just two or three larger Councils which will provide all the services previously split out across district and county councils. The new council will be known as a unitary council.
It is anticipated that parish and town councils will continue to operate as usual. We will continue to engage and consult with town and parish councils as information becomes available and developments unfold.
Government timelines
On 16 December 2024, government announced its intention to reorganise all remaining two-tier local authority areas in England, via the English Devolution White Paper.
On 5 February the government wrote to all authorities impacted by this, requesting they consider the best options for delivering LGR in their area. The government asked that where possible councils across the area worked together to develop an interim proposal.
All initial LGR proposals were required to be submitted to the government by Friday, March 21. The government have committed to reviewing these proposals and providing feedback by the end of April.
Detailed plans for LGR must be submitted to government by 28 November 2025. It is expected that unitary councils will launch in two waves. The first in May 2027 and the second in May 2028. It has been confirmed that LGR in Greater Lincolnshire falls into the second wave, and that the new unitary authority will come into effect in May 2028, replacing the existing structure.
West Lindsey District Council’s Interim proposal
Councillors attended an Extraordinary Council meeting on Tuesday 18 March to discuss the options available.
Six options, including supporting data were considered by West Lindsey District councillors.
Following debate, West Lindsey District Council agreed to submit all the options presented, with an emerging preference for Option A and Option E.
In addition to West Lindsey’s interim submission, a number of other councils across Greater Lincolnshire also submitted their own proposals to government. You can find out more about these proposals by visiting the website of each council.
Next steps
Following the submission of the interim proposal, West Lindsey District Council has received a letter from government acknowledging the interim proposal and has committed to providing feedback on this and the other interim proposals received from across Greater Lincolnshire in the coming months
In the meantime, West Lindsey District Council will continue to consider the options and work with other councils across Greater Lincolnshire to understand the opportunity and best option for delivering Local Government Reorganisation in Greater Lincolnshire. We are also committed to working with our key partners in the public and private sector, and the community and voluntary sector to ensure a wide range of views are fed into the development of a final proposal.
Additionally, we will continue to promote the communities, businesses and residents of West Lindsey and work hard to ensure the district’s interests are positively represented and considered as part of the ongoing development of the final proposal to the government in November.